Jar lifting device



v Oct. 2, 1951 'r. J. NOVAK JAR LIF'TING DEVICE Filed July 8,' 194a Patented Oct. 2, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JAR LIFTING DEVICE Thomas J. Novak, St. Paul, Minn. Application July 8, 1946, Serial No. 681,931

4 Claims.

My invention relates to an improvement in jar lifting device wherein it is desired to provide an apparatus for use inlifting jars into or out of a receptacle or the like.

In the canning of fruit, vegetables, and other materials, it is common practice to place a plurality of jars into a receptacle such as a pressure cooker and to cook the contents of the jars while enclosed therein. Itis often difficult to remove the jars after the cookingprocess in view of the fact that the jars have been heated to a high temperature and in view of the further fact that the jars are often immersed or partially immersed in water at a temperature near the boiling point. I

It is the object of the present invention to provide an apparatus which may be used to grip a jar or similar object near the top thereof and to grip the jar sothat it may be readily lifted or handled.

A feature of the present invention resides in the provision of a pair of arcuate jaws supported in opposed relation to clamp a jar or the like immediately below the top thereof. These jaws are normally urged into clamping position by resilient means which hold the jaws in jar engaging position. As a result my lifting device will hold a jar firmly unless the jaws are manually spread apart and'as a result the danger of dropping the jar due to a momentary release of the clamping pressure is obviated.

A feature of the present invention lies in the provision of a pair of arcuate jaws supported on hingedly mounted arms to move toward or away fromeach other; Spring means is provided to urge the jaws into clamping position.

A pair of pivoted levers are hingedly connected between the jaws by means of which the arms may be forced apart. These levers are normally in angular relationship and means is provided to pivot the levers toward aligned; position to spread the arms apart.

A further feature of the present invention lies in the provision of ahandle having clamping arms pivotally supported at opposite ends thereof. Lever means is provided connecting the jaws to spread the same apart. An auxiliary handle is supported upon a plunger adjacent the handle of the device. By pressing the auxiliary handle toward the main handle of the device the jaws may be urged apart for manually engaging or disengaging the jar.

These and other objects and novel features of my invention will be more clearly and fully set forth in the following specification and claims.

In the drawings forming a part of my specification:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my jar lifting apparatus in clamping position.

Figure? is an elevational view of my jar lifting apparatus with the jaws thereof spread apart in readiness for engaging the neck of a jar.

My jar lifting apparatus A includes the handle member ID having a pair of clamping arms II and I2 pivotally connected thereto. In the form of construction illustrated the upper extremities of the arms II and I2 are apertured to receive screws such as I3 and I l. These screws I3 and .I4 are accommodated in the apertures of the arms II and I2 with sumcient play to permit the free ends of the arms to pivot toward or away from each other a predetermined amount.

The arms II and I2 incline toward each other for a distance below the handle I0 and are bent at I5 and I6, respectively, to diverge apart at their lower ends as illustrated at IT and IS. The lower ends of the arms II and I2 are bent inwardly into opposed relation as illustrated at 2i] and ZI and the extremities of these arms are bent downwardly at 22 and 23 for attachment with the arcuate jaws 24 and 25. The jaws 2t and 25 are riveted or otherwise attached near their mid-point to the arm extremities 22 and 23 so that the jaws are supported in opposed relation.

A loop 26 is mounted on the inner surface of the arm II near the point of bend I5 to receive the hook shaped end 27 of a lever 29-. A similar loop 30 is provided on the inner surface of the arm I2 near the bend I6 to accommodate the curved hook shaped end 3| of a lever 32. The levers 29 and Mars pivoted by a common pivot 33 to a plunger 34 which extends through an aperture 35 near the center of the handle it. An auxiliary handle 36 is secured to the upper extremity of the plunger 34 and this auxiliary handle is preferably either held from rotation relative to the plunger or is circular in outline.

In the form of construction illustrated, a pin- 37 is supported in a groove 39 in the lower extremity of the auxiliary handle 36 and this pin extends through the plunger 34 to hold the handle from rotation.

A spring 40 connects the free ends of the levers 29 and 32, one end of the spring 40 extending through an aperture 4| in the hook shaped end 2 I of the lever 29 and the other end of the spring 40 extending through an aperture 42 in the hook shaped end 3| of the lever 32. As a result the arms II and I2 are normally urged toward clamping position.

The operation of my apparatus is believed obvious from the foregoing description. The jaws 24 and 25 are normally urged together by the spring 4!! so that the apparatus appears as best illustrated in Figure l of the drawings. When it is desired to engage the top of a jar or the like, the apparatus A is grasped so that the fingers of a hand extend beneath the handle l and the auxiliary handle 36 is positioned in the palm of the hand. By applying a squeezing pressurehand the-auxiliary handle 361s urged downwardly toward the handle ID. The hook shaped ends 21 and 3| of the levers 29 and 3 2 pivot within the loops 26 and 30 so as to pivot the levers 29 and 32 toward alignmentfl -Thisaci tion spreads the lower ends of the arms ll and I2 apart, thus spreading apart the'jaws'za and 25'.

While the apparatus is in the spread position illustrated in Figure 2 of the drawings the apparatus may be inserted over the topof a jar so that the jaws 2d and25 are at the level of the neck- 43 of the jar B. squeezing pressure on the auxiliary handle-35 is tl'ien released so that the spring 59' dr'aws-the-arms l rand l2' together, thus olampingthe-jaws 2 4 and 25 about the neck 43 0f-the jar: The j-ar-may-*then*be-dlfted-or handled in any desired 'manner-,-the tension of the'spring holding the jaws thereof clamped about the -neck of-the jar; The tool is released from the" jar by merelyurging the auxiliary handle 36 toward the handle- 1 0 so as to spread the -jaws-'into the position-shown in Figure 2. When the jaws are"rele'a'sedfromthe neck 43, the apparatus maybe removed from the jar.

My toolis-particularly-useful in lifting or handling headed'jars and for-lifting jars into and out of liquid which would otherwise injure the hands." My-appa-ratus has the advantage of remaining in place clamped upon the neck of a jar until manually removed, thus obivating any chance of accidental disengagement.

In accordancawitl the-patent statutes, I have described the principles of-construction and operation of-my jar lifting device, and while I have endeavored to" set forth the'best embodiment thereof, I desire to have itunderstood that obvious changes may-be made within the scope of the following claims without departing from the spirit of my invention. 1

I claim: 1

1; A jar lifting apparatus including a handle,

' a pair of arms pivotallyconnected thereto adjacent opposite ends}thereof,-*jar' engaging jaws supported by the free ends of saidarms, a pair of opposed'loops on said arm's intermediate the ends thereof, a pair of; links pivotally connected together and havinghook shapedends engageable through said loops on saidarms, and" resilient means connecting-the ends of-saidlinkS to urge said jaws together.

2. A jar lifting device comprising a handle, a pair of arms pivotally connected to said handle adjacent opposite ends thereof, jar engaging jaws supported adjacent the free ends of said arms, a pair of opposed loops on the opposing surfaces of said arms, a pair of links pivotally connected together to form a knee joint, hook shaped ends on said links extending through said opposed loops, resilient means connecting thehooksha'ped"ends oi aid 1 and plunger nieans'slidalily supported by sai handle and secured to said links at said knee joint.

' 3. A jar lifting device comprising a handle, a pair of arms pivotally connected to said handle adjacent opposite ends thereof, said arms beingherittd'incline toward each other to a point intermediatethe ends of said arms, said arms diverging apart toward their free ends, a pair ofopposed inwardly extending ends on said arms, a pair of jar engaging jaws supported by said inwardly extending ends, span of links pivotally connected together, -means pivotally connecting each link to a respective armadjacntthe said point of bend of said"arms-intermediatethe ends thereof, plunger for pivoting-said links, said plunger extending' thr'ough said-"handle; and-a second handle on said pluIigersDacd from said spaced properly-to allow them tobe simultaneously engaged in the hand? 4. A ja'rlifting device including a transversely extending handle, 'a pair'bf grooves inopposite ends of saidhandle, 'a pair er ar'm's supported in said grooves;- siibstahtially aligned m' ear'isextending through said arms and'in'to "said hand-Ie and loosely oonnectin'gfsai'd arnis "to said handle, said arms being-supported from pivotal movement about the axis of th'handle bysaid' grooves, a pair of links pivotally cdnnecte'd'togeth'er, 'each of said links being pivotally connected tda respective arm, plunger-*rne'ans extendingthrough said handle and pivotally connected-ta said links at the common pivot therebetw'en, jaws; on the free ends of said 'arms,-and resilient m'eans'ur'gingsaid jaws'togetherl- 'rngoi/rasu. Npya REFEREFW? FTW he o owin e- IBHQB, a 6.. feq9. :do a h file of thi -patent; V l

uNi rEnfs rA'rEs PATEN$S- Number, Na e Date Shakespeare 00. Catalog (19 37) ,page 90. (copy'avail'a'ble in Din-2 9 

